Richard Meadows shares how Seabourn is elevating the ultra-luxury experience across its fleet
This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2016 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Modelled on Seabourn Cruise Line’s three Odyssey-class vessels – Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn and Seabourn Quest – Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation will feature an additional deck, expanded public areas and new venues. Each vessel will accommodate 600 guests based on double occupancy in all-suite, veranda accommodations. Both vessels are under construction at Fincantieri yards in Italy. The former is due for delivery at the end of November and will begin sailing in early December, and is now floating.
“I visited Seabourn Encore recently and while she now looks amazing from the outside, there’s still a tremendous amount of outfitting work going on inside as you would expect at this stage in her construction,” says Rick Meadows, Seabourn president. “Fincantieri cut the first piece of steel for Seabourn Ovation on 7 June so we’re making excellent progress towards the spring 2018 delivery deadline.”
While both ships are yet to be finished, Meadows is confident Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation will debut as two of the most luxurious and beautiful vessels at sea. He says: “We’ve invested a lot of time and money into these new vessels to ensure they will be worthy of a place at the very top end of the high-end, ultra-luxury market.”
To achieve this, Seabourn harnessed the talents of award-winning hospitality and interior designer Adam D. Tihany.
“Past guests will feel at home on the newbuilds owing to their powerful consistency with the three Odyssey-class vessels, but they will notice that Tihany has created a real exciting shift in the contemporary designs of all the indoor and outdoor guest spaces,” Meadows says. “Tihany has drawn inspiration from Seabourn’s yachting heritage, adding elements such as high-gloss woodwork in public areas, leather banquette seating and ceilings with curved wood coffers. Guests will truly feel as though they’re stepping onto a private luxury yacht.”
A particular highlight is The Retreat, a top-deck private outdoor sanctuary housed under a flower-shaped canopy with sun loungers, a bar, tables, a central whirlpool with step-up access and a spa treatment cabana.
“Guests can enjoy fresh foods, champagne and cocktails, choose a personalised spa treatment, or relax in one of our spacious and comfortable private cabanas, which are equipped with a large HD flat-screen TV and a refrigerator stocked with a personalised selection of beverages,” comments Meadows, adding that a dedicated retreat concierge will be on hand to satisfy any requests. “Guests will have to pay extra, but it will be one of the most spectacular spaces on the ships and we expect it to be very popular.”
Other highlights will include The Spa at Seabourn, showrooms, a casino and lounges, outdoor deck areas, a new Sushi restaurant and bar. “Onboard venues will be exciting and Tihany’s onboard artwork programme will play an integral role in making them even more inspiring,” Meadows says.
Expanding from a three-ship to five-ship fleet will allow Seabourn to increase and diversify its itineraries. In summer 2017, for example, Seabourn will sail its first series of Alaska departures.
“We’re already very broadly distributed throughout Europe, Australasia and the Americas, but Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation will enable us to take guests to new destinations worldwide,” says Meadows. “We’re really excited that we’ll be operating optional guided kayak and Zodiac excursions directly from the ship in Alaska as part of our Ventures by Seabourn programme.”
While preparing for the newbuilds has been a major focus for Meadows this year, his talented culinary team has also spent a considerable amount of time rethinking the all-inclusive food and beverage offering.
“Seabourn’s unique selling proposition is that we provide an all-inclusive, world-class service, extraordinary culinary experiences and varied itineraries with handpicked destinations and carefully crafted excursions, but we’re always looking for new ways to deliver beyond our guests’ expectations as the luxury travel market evolves,” notes Meadows.
Working in collaboration with three-star Michelin chef Thomas Keller, Seabourn has developed an exclusive new signature restaurant, The Grill by Thomas Keller, which first debuted on Seabourn Quest this May and will be introduced on the remainder of the fleet. Offering a menu inspired by American chophouse classics, The Grill also serves more than 90 wines from around the world.
“Chef Keller is an incredible culinarian and has brought his vision for how to deliver new dining concepts that maximise the use of fresh ingredients from artisan purveyors,” Meadows says. “The Grill is a beautiful space and feedback has been very good, while the select dishes Keller has created for our other venues are taking our award-winning cuisine to new heights.”
Meanwhile, award-winning mixologist Brian Van Flandern has used flavour profiling to create handcrafted cocktails that include ingredients from the local markets featured on Seabourn itineraries. “Van Flandern has helped us to reimagine our beverage offerings and train bar staff in both new and classic mixology techniques,” says Meadows.
Providing the best personalised cruise experience in the ultra-luxury market will continue to be Seabourn’s main mission, both as it launches the new ships and far into the future, says Meadows.
“Seabourn excels in delivering highly customised cruise experiences that luxury travellers desire and we always aim to create ‘Seabourn moments’, where we can deliver special experiences that our guests will never forget – whether that is visiting a UNESCO site, or enjoying a new dish from a Michelin-starred chef,” he remarks. “We have absolutely no doubt that the improved dining experiences on our three Odyssey-class ships, and the exciting culinary innovations on both Seabourn Encore and Seabourn Ovation, will help us to achieve this goal. We’re certainly excited for the future.”